1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates to gas burner control systems, and more particularly to, gas burner control systems with non-continuous gas pilot lights.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART:
The prior art contains examples of gas burner control systems which employ non-continuous gas pilot lights.
Such non-continuous gas pilot lights are desirable for a number of reasons, but, primarily because of the improved safety feature offerred by the use of such pilot lights.
Open flame pilot lights pose a safety problem in that the generally hidden flame can ignite gas fumes from a gas leak, volatile hydrocarbon solutions, such as gasoline, paint thinners, nail polish remover and the like which are frequently used in and about the home where gas burner control systems find the greatest use. Gas burner control systems are found in gas stoves, gas heaters and gas water heaters.
A further undesirable problem associated with such systems is the fact that is continually consumes the oxygen in the air. Consequently, it is dangerous to use in a people-occupied closed environment such as a room with no ventilation, a closed cabin, camper, or motorhome because it can consume so much of the oxygen as to suffocate the persons in such a closed environment.
Another complaint which is frequently voided concerning the use of such continuous burning systems is that it is energy wasteful. Such as waste of energy cannot be condoned in our present energy-conscious World.
Consequently, non-continuous gas pilot lights are preferred over the continuous burning types.
One type of non-continuous gas pilot light uses a piezoelectric device which when mechanically stressed and rapidly released produces a voltage of several thousand volts thereby causing an electric arc to be generated for igniting the gas burner.
While such devices represent an improvement over the continuous burning gas pilot lights, such piezoelectric elements are fragile and having a definite life-cycle.
The present invention as disclosed hereinafterwards offers another alternative to the above-mentioned non-continuous gas pilot light device.